Valve for use with submarine diving apparatus.



0. E. MAGDUPPEE. VALVE FOR USE WITH SUBMARINE DIVING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION TILED DEC. 6, 1910.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

ri nrrn as and anion.

onns'rna n. MACDUFF-EE, on NEW YORK, N. 1., ASSIGNOR or ONE-FIFTH TOGEORGE A.

TMVER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ONE-FIFTH TO JAMES P. REID. OF NEW YQRK,

N Y., UNIS-FIFTH T JOHN L. GORDON, OF WEST HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ONE

FIFTH T0 nannsr mnrnnfor TUXEDO, NEW YonK.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

VALVE FOR 'USE WITH SUBMARINE DIVING APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. 11. 1%11.

Application filed December 6, 1910. Serial No. 595,850.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Cnns'ren E. Macncrrnn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the borough of l /lanl'iattan, city,

county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in ValvestorUse with Submarine Diving Apparatus, of which structed to withstandthe pressure of water at great depth such as that illustrated in myco-pcnding application Serial No.'595,84:7

- of like date herewith.

With armor of such character it is desirable to provide "an air pumpattached within. a suitable casing, so

that in case the water pressure outside the armor is of sutticient forceto cause a leakage of water through the joints of the armor, such wateras may enter the armor from such cause can be pumped out; and the ob-;ject. of my present invention is to provide a uniform supply of air tothe diver at all times under normal conditions, and .to ad- .mit asufiicient pressure of air to the pump to work the same for thedischarge of water from the armor should leakage of the joints occur, inwhich case, and while the pump is working, the diver 1s supphedwrth asulficlent quantity or airfrom the exhaustwhich .is discharged into thearmor through a suitable spreader or mufller.

In the acconipanylng drawlngz Figure l isa vertical section of myimproved valve. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectlons of the same atthe lines w, m,and y, g, respectively. Fig.

4 is a diagrammatic viewlvillustrating the Case of my invention, therebeing shown in with said armor. the attachment for the air pipes shownin.

Fig. l.

this figure a sectional elevation of the upper part ot'va submarinediving armor, ar d a plan view of the air tanks and reel employed Flg. 5is an elevatlon of Similar reference numcralsreter to like partsthroughout the several views.

1 is the cylindrical valve casing havingtwo lateral tubular projections2 and 3 eX- teriorly screw threaded, and also having intcrior annularrecesses a and 5 fornnng air and 14 spaced apart in circular range.

spaces in line with the respective tubular projections, there beingports 6 and 7 communicating between said air spaces and the interior ofsaid projections. A tube 38 is attachcdto the screw threaded end of theprojection and passes into the interior of the armor 17. through anopening therein maden or that purpose, see Fig. 4.

The bottom of the valve casin 1 extends in reduced diameter below thetubular projection 13 forming an annular shoulder S,

which is providedwith an annular recess to receive and hold a circularring 9 of rubber or'other suitable elastic substance.

Within the v: lve casing; 1 there is a cylindrical cup 10. with closedbottom and open top. A pin 11 projects downwardly from the under surfaceof the cup 10 at the centerand is surrounded by a spiral spring 12 whichspring has a hearing at its top against the under surface of the cup 10.and at its bottom against the interior surface at the bottom of theextension to the valve casing. The cup 10 is of a diameter to fitclosely within the valve casing 1, but has vertical movement thereinwithout undue friction. This cup 10 is provided with openings 1.3 Thespring 12 is of a. tension to normally maintain the cup 10 in suchposition that the openings 13 therein are in line with the annularrecess or air space 4 in the valve casinn, and the port 6 therein.

The upper end of the valve casing is exteriorly screwthreaded to receivethe interiorly screw threaded cap piece 15 which has a circular hub 15on the top exteriorly screw-threaded with a central opening, and

a tubular cylindrical projection 15 extending within the casing 1 to apoint slightly below the annular recess 4. This tubular projection 15 isopen at its end within the casing 1. This valve is-prefcrably locatedwithin. the casing 16 attached to the back of the armor 17 which casingcontains a pump 18;.thc alve being connected to the pump by a coupling19 screwed upon the screwthreaded e'nd of the projection 3 of the valvecasing. A pipe or tubing 20 is connected to the screw-threaded hub 15*of the cap 15, and passes into the interior of the armor 17 through anopening therein provided for such purpose. and is coupled or otherwiseconnected to a boss 21 on the interior of the I and is discharged intothe open water armorthrough which boss and armor there is an openingcommunicating with an air port in an attachment 22 on the back 01' thearmor -17. which attaclnuent is provided with conneetmns 23 for the airsupply tube 24 and exhaled air tuhl These airt'ubes Q 1 and beyond theireonnection with the attachment 22 are preferably carried within aflexible tubular casing 26, which is wound and unwound upon a reel 27located upon the deck of. a boat or tender above water, -the upper endoi the airsupply pipe 2 1 being eounel ted with a pipe 2h avhich pipe isin turn connected with branch pipes 29 and 30 communicating with a lowpressure tank 31 and high pre re tank The exhaled air passes .t'romwithin the armor 17 out throu h an opening therein communicating Witht.e attachment 522 from which it enters the tube 25, by which it iscarried above water and discharged into the atmosphere. Suction tubes 33are connected with the pump 18 and extend down within each leg sectionotthe armor to the feet.

The operation of my improved valveis as tollo \\s:l\'hen the diver isbelow the water surface, air will be supplied to him from the lowpressure tank 81 at slightly above atmospheric pressure. The air Wlllpass through the pipes 29 and 28., supply tube 24-, attachment 22, pipe20, and enter the cup through the hub and tubular projection 15" on thecap 15, from whence it will escape through the openings 18, into theannular recess t and pass through the port .6 into the armor17,throughthe pipe or tubing 38 and spreader 4". These conditions will prevailunless there is leakage of water into the armor. when if it rises to anuncomfortable or dangerous height, the diver will signal by telephone:(with which 1 propose to equip the armor) when the attendant above willopen the cock El i in the branch pipe lead- 45 ing from the highpressure tank 32 when the air will pass through-the same channels asfrom the low pressure tank 31, but owing to the high pressure when itenters the cup' 10, its force will overcome the tension of the spring12, and force the cup down upon the rubber ring 9 in the shoulder 8 ofthe using 1 bringing the openings 14 in the cup within the annularrecess a) in the casing 1, and in communication with the port' 7therein, when the air willbe conveyed to the pump 18 through thecoupling or connection 19 and start the pump. the cup 10, t'he' annularrecess l and the port 6 will be closed, but while the pump is workingthe exhaust theretrom is dicchargel'l into the armor through asuitablespreader B5, and the diver is thereby supplied with air; When the pumpis at work any water port ii.

.the high pressure is on.

in this position ot through a pipe 36 provided with a check valve 39.\Vhen the armor is freed from water, the diver will so inform theattendant above who will shut oil the hi; in pressure sir" ply, when thespring 12 Wlll expand and raise the cup 10 to the normal position, thusopening eonnnunication for the low pressure supply of air through theopenings 13 and The cushion or rubber ring 9 prevents jar when the cup10 is forced down and provides an el'astict seat for the same while Itis preferable to provide a vent, hole 37in the bottom of a the casing '1to avoid the possibility of a vacuum forming and retarding the operationof the cup 10.

Thepump 1S, suction tubes 33, discharge )i M2 36 and check valve thereinma be of.

any suitable character asthe same form no part otmy present, invention.

The reel, the conveyer for the air tubes and the attachment for thesameto the armor, are all of peculiar construction, and form the subjectmatter of separate co-pending applications Serial Nos. 595,851; 595,811)

and 5'i)-J3,S-l8, respectively, of like date herewith.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an armor for submarine divers, having anattached pump and a source of air supply with means for regulating-thesupply, of a valve connected with the armor in the line of airtsupplyand adapted to supply a regulated quantity of air to the diver undernormal conditions and also adapted to supply air to the pump for 1working the same when required.

'2. The. combination with an armor for submarine divers, ha ving anattached pump, and a source of air supply with means for regulating suchsupply, of a valve connected with the armor in the line of air supply,said valve being provided within its case with an air cup capable ofvertical movement therein and having an upper and lower circular range01' openings, an upper port in the valve loo case communicating betweenthe u pperrange at. openings insaid cup and the interior of the armorunder a low pressm'e supply of air, and a lower port n the valve casecommunieating between the lower rangeof openinns in said cupand'thdpu-m'p under ahigh pressure supply of air.

The combination with anarnaor for submarine divers, having'an attachedpump and a source of air supply with means for regulating such supply.of a \alveconnected with the armor in the line of air su l-y" said valvetiming provided within its case with an air cup capable oi verticalnmvement therein and having an upper and .lower circular range ofopenings. an upper port in the valve in the armor is drawn up throughthe suc- 1 case eonnnunicating-betwecn the upper range tion tubes 1n theleg sections of the armor -o't openings in said cup and the interior of4 the armor under a low pressure supply of air, and a lower port in thevalve case communicating between the lower range of openings in said cupand the pump under a high pressure supply of air, and means forreturning the air cup into communication with the said upper port in thevalve case when the high pressure supply of airis shut 0H.

4-. The combination with an armor for submarine divers, havingunattached pump, and a source of air supply with meansfor regulating thesupply of a valve connected with the armor in the line of air'supply,said valve being provided within its case with an air cup capable ofvertical movement therein andhaving an upper and lower circular range ofopenings; an upper port in the valve case communicating between theupper range of openings in said air cup and the interior of the armorunder a low pressure supply of air, and a lower port in the valve casecommunicating between the lower range of openings in said air cup andthe pump under a high pressure supply of air, and a spring arranged in alower extension of the valve case and acting upon the hottom of said aircup by which said air cup is returned into communication with the saidupper port in the valve case when the high, pressure supply of air isshut oh" or discontinned.

5. An air valve comprising in combination, a casing, an air cupvertically movable therein, a port in the casing communicating with saidair cup for the distribution of a given'quantity of air under a lowpressure tion of an increased tion, a

therein, a port-in the casing communicating supply, and another port insaid casing which communicates with said aircup un der a high pressuresupply for the distribupurposes described. 1

6. An air valve comprising in combinacasing, an an cup verticallymovable with said air cup for the distribution of a given quantity ofair under a low pressure supply, another port in said casing whichcommunicates with said air cup under a high pressure supply for. thedistribution of an lnci'eased for returning thevolume of air, and meansair cup into communication with the first aforesaid port, when ply isdiscontinued- 7. The combination with an armor for submarine divers,having an attached pump and a source of air supply with means forregulating the supply, with the armor 'in the line of air supply andhaving series of spaced air discharge open: ings, normally spring heldand so adapted for a predetermined air pressure, and automaticallymovable under excess air pressure and which movement closes old thenormal discharge openings to supply air to the pump when required.

Signed by me this first day of December 19 10.

CHESTER n MACDUFFEE.

Witnessesz' Gno. A. TRAVER, G120. T. PINCKNE volumeof air for the thehigh pressure sup of a valve connected 1

